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Just returned from Florida where I was entertaining the grandson at Disney World…not a Key West kinda trip but the wine was flowing…scored an upgrade to a 2 bedroom villa at a deluxe resort so had plenty of room for the cousins to join us…can’t wait for the Seeley girls to invade the Keys and send back pics of their wild girls’ weekend…they will be celebrating my birthday without me…at least my birthday partner, Sue will be in attendance. Let the month of partying begin!!!!

Richard, you say what you want to say through your humor, so allow me to say what I want to say. I dislike the picture of my brother Mike with the salvage sign. I don’t think it is funny, and I think Mike doesn’t like this. I think we go some cruel places on this website that aren’t funny, but what do I know? Your site, your call, however not funny.

Am just pulling out of a forgotten week with Influenza A. Amazing they can do nasel swabs and infectious disease labs can tell you your flu type! Today is my last day on Tamiflu, which brought the days of very high fever down to something more manageable. Still can’t talk because it sets off coughing spells but other than that, can putter around and get stuff done again!

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. People should begin getting vaccinated soon after flu vaccine becomes available, if possible by October, to ensure that as many people as possible are protected before flu season begins. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating in the community, it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

Richard, what’s the status on the Christmas time sailing vacation? Bill mentioned that he and Annette are in and I said Dan and I are up for it…how many can the boat hold and when were you thinking? I have many cousins who are interested!!!!

Patti indicates her pack of cousins are all interested.. with cousins and wind goes green waves over the sides.. so, get with Patti et al and determine what size and type of boat we need.. only chartered a catamaran once in Belize.. but it would be easier on the landlubbers.. Conch Charters is a good starting point..

We gotta limit this charter (assuming a 40′ cat) to 8 people, 4 cabins, 2 to a cabin. I’m good with the Virgins or Belize, I’ve sailed both.
I’d be happy to skipper, navigate or administer corporal punishment (why do corporals always get punished?).
We can even bring a plank.

Thank you so much for putting this up 🙂 What a rendition! (How can I pick a favorite musician on this song? I especially love Young, and Harrison, but all of them rock this! And Clapton’s solo…! Wow!) Makes me want to look up the whole concert now.

And lest I take it for granted, Roger McGuinn’s beautiful voice opening this performance! Sigh…the Byrds! And for you Clapton fans, he must have an apartment in our neighborhood, I am guessing on Central Park West (CPW). We thought we saw him on a bench early one morning waiting for someone who must have been in a race (Paul and I were, whoa! Is that Clapton?), and it likely was because a couple weeks after that I saw him as he walked right past me around 88th and Columbus, with him heading toward CPW. He was wearing cargo shorts (long, loose) and carrying two grocery sacks! Graham Nash also walked by me on Central Park West last year, easily identifiable because of the height, the hair, the age, and the guitar on his back!

Hi Streeters…so a little piece of my lung and I will soon be parted. Will find out when and what type of follow up there will be…chemo, radiation, gin? Accepting any and all good wishes and happy thoughts and gin!!!

Well, bummer, Patti, but I am sending you Irish luck (the very best kind) for a good result and a quick recovery! I will send you a snailmail card post haste because remember that happiness book you gave me when I came to NYC? It said sending cards to friends is a great way to feel happiness, and the book, and you were right! I love sending cards to all of you! So a card coming your way, asap!

Keeping up with tradition, the Grammy Awards were last night.. so I’ve added an additional page to the menu (2016 Grammy)… there are some of the Grammy winners or nominees that I have. Probably have a few more but I’d have to dig for them and these I found right away..

Obviously all lies! Since the majority of the population is Hispanic, it should be Bud Light… but the largest minority group are Damn Yankees (Yankees who won’t leave or Calfornians from Silicon Valley) so those pervs are drinking all that Miller Lite…

Speaking of the Yankees, what’s new in NYC Lady Liberty nee Lyons? See you still have that job in the harbor of immigrants. That choice of beer should keep the Germans out. Eh, Richard. Oh well, be well. Back to work on my Lou’s Liquors Lego Set.

So last night I went to a Candlelight Bowl with Birgit, and I also saw the elusive Ralph and Theresa. After drinking Not Your Father’s Root Beer, I bowled 3 games as Birgit’s partner and we tied for last place. Ralph and Theresa send their regards.

Lest you think my life is all fun and games and Lagunitas: Monday night I participated in a program at my library. We each recommended a favorite author and mine was Michael Raleigh, who wrote our book In the Castle of The Flynns. He recently published a new book, Peerless Detective.And in honor of that book, tonight I’m drinking Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown

Have a great time! I know you are celebrating our birthdays, as well!!
Hoping any and all Streeters can make it to my house on Saturday, February 13th to welcome back to Chicago our own Ellen Swanson. Party starts at 6 PM at the Grunde’s!!

To those of you who knew the O’Brien family: Colleen’s mom passed away last month. I just found out today. I remember her at Hoffings. There is a memorial service at Bloomingdale Church this Sat at 11 a.m. Yes, that’s in Bloomingdale.

We brewed this especially bitter ale in remembrance of the 2005 St Patrick’s Day Massacre and in commemoration of our 20-day suspension that followed. The ABC conducted an undercover investigation of our brewery, finding us guilty of operating a “Disorderly House.” as well as “Moral Turpitude’… we had to look that up… it is defined as “devoid of social morals — we disagree! We did the crime. We did the time. We got the braggin’ rights.

Okay.. Janis has been posting a bunch of lego photos of her lego set… the question is why does she have a lego set at home.. so let’s have a contest.. select one of the following or come up with an alternative…

1) Joe has moved back in with the parents
2) Janis is trying to keep up with the Benker clan and decided to reproduce more
3) Janis is bored out of her mine and has New York condo fever
4) Janis kidnapped an immigrant family to do the cooking and it’s to keep the children quiet..

The only “country” they played was Country Roads by John Denver.. all the other songs were in German… and it was an accordion (what else) and not seen was the fiddle player wandering the hall..

The area was colonized in 1842 by the Adelsverein using German settlers (most were educated and artisans) and they continued immigrating to the area until the 1890s.. this is the origins of the Texas classic – Chicken Fried Steak with cream gravy.

Northsiders remember 1969 and the weird series between the Mets and the CHICAGO CUBS! So, here we are, in the shadow of Shea, living a short commute from Citi Field where our beloved Cubs are coming for games one and two this weekend! Paul is wearing his Cubs hat on the streets of NYC. Enough said. 😉

What kind of newspaper is this? How funny! Note the date: Sept 10. Remember when the world series was played when it was actually still summer? And when did they stop using the term “the pennant”? And the outrage over $5 tickets. . .love this article, thanks for sharing. Perhaps Paul should be wearing a bullet-proof vest with his Cubs hat.

Hey Girls! Mr. tall and handsome here(that would be yours truly-me), was able to score a ticket thru Cubs Lottery for Tuesday’s playoff game. I would give it to Sue(who FINALLY agreed with me(I’m so easy!)), but I’m afraid while she is STILL flirting with the players, a ball is going to hit her between the eyes, and then her Mom is going to take her to Illinois Masonic via CTA.

I know, Sue! If I’d heard of The Heckler, I don’t recall it. Just googled it and I think this is actually a satirical paper that is recent (I didn’t know that when I posted it, which was naive of me, since some of those quotes are pretty unlikely! 🙂

Crazy here for Paul…people telling him they can’t talk to him for this next week. Missed a call from Bartz, who left a voicemail saying he was thinking of Paul during this time. P.S. Remember last year and the story you texted me about the person walking the goat to Wrigley? This year, in some kind of misguided judgment, some Cub “fans” are eating goat to break the curse. Now let’s think about this…if the curse happened because a guy was refused to bring his goat in Wrigley field, wouldn’t the correct response be to treat goats WELL to undo the curse? You have to admire Cub fans enthusiasm, if not the accuracy of their follow through…. 🙂

Pic of the day is me, a year and a half ago, in the parking lot of Woodstock (SINGS “paved paradise, put up a parking lot!”) That’s our “blue sky diesel” car that was the first car purchase Paul and I ever agreed on, both loving the respect for the environment, the torque, the mileage and the clean diesel engine (ahem!) Google VW diesel, if you don’t know the rest of the story…. 🙂

Janis, a fresh oil change and we rotate your tires, you’re good for another 3 years! Speaking of Woodstock reference, Sharon, the bride of my youth, was actually at the ORIGINAL one on Yasgur’s farm. At 14, she tagged along with her older sister and friends on a Greyhound Bus. She has several Polaroids which confirm absolutely nothing about this. But I believe her, like I did when she said, “Don’t worry, Jim, I’m on the pill”.

Jim, very cool that you knew someone who was there! Seeley question: do you guys remember the brother/sister teens/early 20s that moved to Addison Street kind of later in our group’s time? The girl dated Mike Fiechtner? I think she said she’d been to Woodstock. Was her name Charlene?

JG: Above, see the holy site. It was thrilling to be on, and it wasn’t long before Paul and I entered the area by the now rock rubble stage foundation. We climbed a fence to do it. Yes, there are concerts held in this field but everything is restricted now and you aren’t allowed to be on it when there isn’t an event in progress, and certainly can’t walk and stand on the stage and look up and see the artist’s vantage on the natural sloping amphitheater the hill provides. We did. We got on there quickly and were awed.

Are you referring to the lack of activity on the website? I think everyone is recovering from the latest topics. Butt transplants and spotted dick. What’s wrong with you?
No official holiday but there was a wedding celebration in Ludy’s back yard. Ludypalooza all over again! And it was a same sex wedding, the grooms are from Austin TX.

Nope.. the normal holiday carnage but seems not to be a holiday.. maybe a weekly event…

Guess they had to have it in the north.. I believe those weddings are still illegal in Texas.. at least according to the Texas attorney general.. of course he is currently busy with his felony charges for using his political positions for illegal gains ( I know.. business as usual in Illinios)

Celebrated this weekend on Bill’s boat with fellow birthday girl Sue and Cousin Sue, #2 of 79 and some gin and tonics. Will be celebrating again on Thursday with Cheryl and having margaritas. Then it is up to the cabin for the weekend with Cousin # 1 of 79 for some bloody marys…finally it is off to the hospital on Monday for a liver transplant!!! Then we start the entire process over again…

Was in Chicago past weekend. Sunday morning @ Lincoln Park Zoo. What a wonderful place! What the hell happened to quaint artsy Old Town? Typical American Yuppie-dom, now, which probably doesn’t bother a couple in the group. And Piper’s Alley isn’t an alley anymore. You can’t go home again, which is literal for me. My house has been razed, and lot is someone’s side yard.

Hi Jim! First, I agree with you, RE Lincoln Park Zoo. Always a sentimental favorite of mine, cozy and old timey. I can’t estimate the amount of times I’ve walked it, and I am so glad they kept it a free zoo (although of course drivers have to pay for parking now, not like all that free parking down Cannon and Stockton drives that teens used to have! Second, Piper’s Alley- I remember visiting the alley and always being warned by my Mother (and my Dad, on the phone) to be very careful! I could only go in a large group and if a brother was part of that group. Saw my first bead curtains there, first John Lennon round specs there, and my first water bed there! Yikes! Your house is razed. That would feel weird. Mary showed me that they took down the house next to ours, and that was a shock. I can imagine what I would feel like if they took down ours.

Happy belated National Black Dog Day! When is that Black Dog’s birthday…we can claim it as ours! Still wear patchouli…and it is the old kind…got it at a head shop in of all places, Rock Island (though they were always stuck in a time warp) when I was doen there last year. Have just a smidge left as the bottle has a cork in it and is about the size of an “iodine bottle”! Heading off to WDW fo a class trip with my students…it’s like herding cats! Cheryl says hi to all…I think she had a pitcher of margaritas by herself…she has also lost all her phone contacts, her e-mail contacts and her mind! Weekend at the cabin was fun…no volunteers to get into the water…but we did have G&T’s in your honor Sue, as well as samplings from the designated cousin #2 of 79’s wine bar. Visited the mandatory fish fry, Maiden Lake Supper Club and had a fire and s’mores…missed my birthday partner! Fall leaves were spectacular. Everyone have a great weekend! GO CUBS!!!!

Just visited with Mike and Chris at the VA. He hasn’t had his butt transplant yet because they can’t find one to fit him. Chris and I fed him white castle burgers so if his butt gets big enough he can get one transplanted from the Kardashians. Or he can have mine when I’m done with it because he says he’s going to outlive all of us.

Save the date: Christmas party at Mike and Chris’ on Sat Dec 19th. I’ve gotten word that Ralph and Theresa are available and putting it on their calendar.

You guys could get together with all the September birthday folk: Bonnie who had hers on the 3rd, Bill B (his Bday is tomorrow Sept 11) Bill M (Sept 23) and of course Jim on Sept 24! Have fun in Chicago, Jim!

Sue- Give me a call if you are free(608-393-5253) Sunday is a bum around day for me. Don’t get to city often, so figured I might hit Lincoln Park Zoo(they say it’s all happening there). Just winging it.

As you said.. after that many birthdays, neither can remember one birthday from another.. basically they are suffering from birthday brain death… and their arteries are clogged with birthday cake residuals..

Thanks to Sue for hosting her “Now and Then” Party. Good time eating Jiffy Pop(so what if it caught on fire), White Castle sliders, TV dinners and Black Cows and watching the movie! Tried to link up with Bill for choir practice but he left before I could get there….I told you I could not do 5PM but would be there by 6PM (I was only 20 minutes late)…you should have had another beer and waited for me! Looking forward to sailing on Sunday and then visiting with Mike on Sue’s (and my) birthday this Tuesday!!!

She wanted me to go to a trade school since she knew I could never make it through a regular high school … much less college… the old bat is probably turning in her grave at this point in time… I said it even though Carlo was “teacher’s pet” 🙂

I was her pet because I spoke Italian and she was Miss Italy in the 1933 Century of Progress (or was that 1893?) Exposition. I think she was always in her 70s, and that Gloria Swanson pancake makeup talc did not help. But I knew her only 3 years. I think she might have been the first Goth.

Off to sunny Italy to sample some vino…I am now an official taster…have credentials and everything! Will be gone for 2 weeks…or more, if I get arrested!! Renting a villa on the Amalfi Coast with other seasoned party-people…no cousins, but Ellen will be there. Get a chance to party with our restaurant owner friends the Pagni brothers from Sabatino Restaurant…they are graciously entertaining us at their home in Pisa for a couple of days…ah, great food and wine!!! Ciao for now!!!!

You are probably just going to the Italian part of Disney World… and I’d say prove it by taking pictures.. but you don’t have a phone that takes pictures (nor even a phone) (and if you had one, you wouldn’t know how to send the said pictures)…

I’m back…such a beautiful country and special time…we ate, we drank, we toured and then we ate and drank some more! I have pictures Richard, which Dan will upload, soon. Visits to Pisa, Lucca, Sienna, Florence, Positano, Sorrento and points in between. Our villa was spectacular…as Ellen said, “Can you believe 2 girls from Melrose street are here?” It was nice to see how the other half lives!!!

Heading down to Wrigley Field with oldest son this morning. Going to be Bleacher Bums along with my daughter in from Colorado, my youngest son, the Army Captain in from San Antonio with his fiancé, and also my grandson home from the Air Force in Altus, OK. Then back to the Dells for a week so they will probably all drink Wisconsinibly.

So, Bartz has finally managed to get my son, Bill to crew for him…scary that both those Bills are together on one boat and beer is involved! Thanks Bill for allowing my son to experience the joys of sailing!

Is your son charging Bill by the hour or is it a seasonal rate? Remember that crew is a negotiable position.. the boats need crew more than the crew need boats… and Bill should be paying for all the beers..

Richard-Can you put The Righteous Brother’s “Your My Soul and My Heart’s Inspiration” on Bonnie’s Music Machine…I feel like slow dancing! Blue-eyed soul at its best!! If it is there and I missed it just tell me and I’ll scroll again…such an achingly beautiful song and the memories I have of dancing to this song are worth more than gold!! Your the best, music maestro!!!

M-M-M-M Duck and beer! That’s why the bear was so happy at the very end. I didn’t realize that bears love duck almost as much as they love salmon. From the land of sky-blue waters, lofty balsams. Hamm’s was my first beer (age 8). Tasted great then; can’t look at it now.
That commercial was reminiscent of a Warner Brothers cartoon, based on On the Beautiful Blue Danube, with Elmer Fudd conducting the orchestra.
Way to go, Richard.

Was out to dinner at a very yuppie, chi-chi place on Southport last Friday…a glass of wine was around $15! Children everywhere so we ate at the bar…everyone was drinking Schlitz…at $10 a can…what is up with that?

Guess you lack any appreciation of an excellent malted beverage… and you must pay for that appreciation.. at least Patti must pay… the rest of us will go down the block to Helmut’s and have an under appreciated Hacker Pschorr Weisse for a much appreciated price of half..

Little trip down memory lane last night, or rather Lincoln Ave. Went out with our Patti to see a play at the Athaneum theater which is on St Alphonsus grounds. Found a new watering hole, Patsy’s Pub, on Lincoln. What used to be Woolworth’s is now the “60657 Lofts”. Driving home down Damen I saw Lou’s Liquors, hangout of Big Dick and Little Dick (per Carlo). Now it’s a pizza place. Hamlin Park is really impressive.

I was gone last week, but we lost Sal the Barber on the 11th or 12th. Below is his Obit. What a character. I’ll miss him.

His real first name was Ottavio, but he went by his middle name, Sal, probably because of the association with the actor, and it seems all Sicilian first names are unpronounceable.

Ottavio Mineo Obituary

Mineo, Ottavio S. Age 77. Former husband of Pasquala Rosa (nee Frumentino); loving father of Anna Marie and Laura Mineo; beloved son of the late Anna and Settimo Mineo; cherished grandfather of Devlin Pighee, Selena and Jhenna Harden; great-grandfather of Brooklynn Jae Pighee; dear brother of Giacomo “Jack” and Geno (Stella) Mineo and Anna Maria (William) Hinkle; fond uncle of many. Visitation will be Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until time of Service 11:00 a.m. at Cumberland Chapels at 8300 W. Lawrence Ave., Norridge, IL. Entombment will follow at All Saints Mausoleum.

One of the two women who went on a shopping spree after stealing credit cards from a North Side school earlier this month was charged Monday after tips helped police identify her.

Kizzie Cunningham, 37, was arrested Sunday afternoon after police received several tips from the public after releasing a surveillance photo of her at a Jewel located at 2940 N. Ashland about three weeks ago, according to a statement from Chicago Police.

Cunningham and another woman–who remains at large–pretended they were enrolling a child at Audubon School at 3500 N. Hoyne on April 1, police said. During the visit, they went inside two classrooms and stole teachers’ wallets, police said.

The pair then bought $145 worth of items from the Jewel using credit cards from the wallets. They also went on a shopping spree at other area stores, police said.

Cunningham, of the 600 block of North Pine, was scheduled to appear in bond court Monday. She was charged with one count each of felony burglary and felony burglary from a school, police said.

Here’s the latest beer: Taj Mahal. Got it at a great Indian restaurant in Morton Grove after seeing “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” with Ludy, Mari Guin, and Bon. There are no pictures so of course this didn’t really happen.

Paul and I have very different taste in music, but we both love this song, and love his voice. Thank you for the video! Cool story behind him, with his Dad playing on this record, I believe. And I love Pretty Ballerina!

Rumour has it that, in celebration of St Patrick day, Sue dyed herself, from head to toe, bright green. But she is bummed out since everyone thinks she is an Orion Slave Girl… not a leprechaun as intended. She was hoping someone would be interested in her pot of gold.

Janis-I am Irish on my dad’s side…my great-grandma, Catherine O’Connor came from County Cork and settled in Syracuse, NY and married a French Canadian, logger, who had another “wife” on the side. Being a good Catholic she wouldn’t get a divorce but kicked him out right after my grandma was born. I have never been able to find out his name…my grandma claimed she didn’t know it…great-grandma only referred to him as “that man”. She lived to be 100 years old and died in 1977.

love this Irish lullaby my grandmother would sing to me:
McGitty is dead and McCarthy don’t know it,
McCarthy is dead and McGitty don’t know it,
Both of them died in the very same bed,
And neither one knew that the other was dead.

HEY!! More notice this time: Sunday March 29th 2 pm. Meeting Mike and Chris Lyons at Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg. Mike likes the Painkillers there. Yes, it’s Palm Sunday, but Chris says we can all bring our palms and Chris and I will weave them into crosses and open a stall in Key West.
I’ll send out an email…..

That photo is the last time [non medical!] that I left my house. Richard was here this past summer and took the picture. I did have a brief foray to my son’s wedding in Galena last fall.

I am convinced that the grim reaper avoids the tropics as well as rum drinks. While we have few tropical places in Schaumburg we do have rum! As Richard and Sue point out, I do like Painkillers. {The picture above is an
It now appears that the “good” do indeed “die young” and that I can no longer slip under that particular wire. Fate, it seems, has allowed me to journey onwards, at least, for awhile. Actually my health is now good.
obviously Photoshopped fake …that silly grin was painted}

Sue and I long for spring and as a pagan rite we intend to rush its arrival. Streeters and their Kin are invited. Schaumburg is in “the great land beyond O’Hare” so if you can’t make it we will be happy to talk about you. My 2nd painkiller assures that. Come if you can.

Mike- You have always been a better drinking buddy to me than Richard, and when you get down to it, what matters more? Let me know your Summer Schaumberg plans. Just bought a new Speedo I want to wear and model for the Streeters-Jimmy Gilbert

Susie, you know your Seeley Side-Kick will be there! Hoping to drag the cousins with…maybe Bartz can keep them straight and remember their names after a few drinks!! Oh that’s right, last time he had something in his eye so he had difficulty seeing them!!! See you at the end of March, Chief!!!!

Brief Request..
Please look at the calendar on the menu bar and see if I have forgotten any birthdays or any of the dates are incorrect.. if any corrections or additional need to be made, let me know…
thanks

I’ve been MIA for awhile…so hope everyone enjoyed their New Year celebrations. Cold in Chicago but then again…IT”S CHICAGO! Wimps from CPS and the Catholic schools have closed for 2 days now but of course I have seen worse so we are in school. And, how is this for logic…we close schools but then open them as warming centers and babysitting centers if parents don’t have anywhere to send them during the day because they have to work and school is closed…duh, if you can get to the school to be babysat or warmed up, can’t you get there to receive and education?
Meeting with Birgit, Sue and Cousin Sue for a mini Key West reunion. We’ll be thinking warm thoughts and downing Bloody Mary’s so all is good!

Meeting at the Garage took place with Bloody Mary’s being consumed…several for Pat, Sue and Cousin Sue and a couple of “Make Mine a Double” for Bonita! No phone…no pictures…no evidence of wrong doing!
Missed Bill and Annette for the evening…Cheryl has been MIA for a while and Birgit was sick with the flu and taking her own “meds”!
Got a Christmas card from the Island City House…they really want us back…said the front porch hasn’t been the same without us!!!

Texas does have 96 breweries compared to Wisconsin’s mere 90, which makes Texas rank 42nd per capita and Wisconsin 11th. I have breakfast beer every morning. What are you pouring over your Cocoa-Puffs?

I did turn a dollar into $40 on the slots, but it was only to bet a quarter for a friend… but the machines only take bills… I used a dollar and on the second push, it went crazy.. the very next button I pushed was cash out.. and I walked away…

Newcastle, a UK brand, confessed to using what I would consider one of the most controversial food additives. Toasted barley is usually what gives beer its golden or deep brown color, however in this case, Newcastle beer is also colored artificially with caramel color. This caramel coloring is manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creating carcinogenic compounds. If beer companies were required by law to list the ingredients, Newcastle would likely have to have a cancer warning label under California law because it is a carcinogen proven to cause liver tumors, lung tumors, and thyroid tumors in rats and mice.http://foodbabe.com/2013/07/17/the-shocking-ingredients-in-beer/

One of my new faves is Not Your Father’s Root Beer. I have no idea what’s in it. I DO know that at the bar it’s 10% alcohol, while the bottled variety is much less. Got together with Pat, Cousin Sue and sister Bon at The Garage last night. my friend from work joined us too, she’s leaving for the Keys this wknd and it was our mission to prepare her for her trip.

Yes, Richard, you liked your Bloody Mary. You had a spicy one. And there was bacon in it. You chemists kind of ruin our alcoholic beverages. Next up: Ludy and I are meeting some Wisconsin friends at Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg on Sunday. Perhaps I can take a picture on my flip phone. But first I will be stopping by Mike and Chris’. Maybe I should bring him some root beer.

Nice visit with Mike and Chris and I would have brought him some root beer had I been able to find it. Apparently this Not Your Father’s Root Beer (brewed in Wauconda!)is a repeated sell-out. Anyway, Chris and I agreed no root beer for Mike until Richard is around to assist. We’re already planning a summertime party with my sister as bartender. I haven’t told her yet. Also a pre-summer gathering at Bahama Breeze, date to be determined but hopefully March when weather is more predictable.

I’m bummed that I won’t be able to make the Super Booze party at Bon’s…I will be in Florida with the hubby, son and grandson! I’m hoping it’ll be around 75 degrees! Have a drink for me…go Seattle…didn’t care until the deflatabowl happened…anyway, as long as the Packers aren’t in it I’m happy!!!! Daughter Katie and son-in-law Russ will be in Key West this weekend for a wedding. They plan on doing the catamaran “Commotion on the Ocean” along with some bar hopping…look for them on bar-cam!

Richard has been talking about a “Bourbon Street” reunion…I’m in whether it is in New Orleans or just drinking bourbon on any old street! Just don’t plan it for June since I will be celebrating my Christmas present from Dan with a trip to Italy!!!

Well personally I’m sad about Judy Baar Topinka. I always liked her. Had her as a patient when she was recovering from knee surgery and she was a hoot. We had to block off her room when she was doing radio interviews. A regular in our local parades.

I agree, Sue…Judy was a blast. Saw her several times at the Gay Pride parade (great parade, by the way)! I hope they buried her with her baton!! A classy lady and an honest politician, that’s why she wasn’t elected governor…not crooked enough for Illinois!!!

They may be gaining on us down in Missouri tonight. I’ll just stick to shooting the shit, the breeze, the moon, or my mouth off…it’s safer!
On a much nicer note…Happy Thanksgiving to all of the Streeters…gobble, gobble!!!

Trimmed down the comment section here and figured out how to move them in bulk to a menu page… so all the comments in the Seeley Street Pub that were prior to Jan 2014 were moved to a menu item call “Old Pub Comments”… previously, I had to just nuke the older comments…

OK I’m back. I had to put my beloved dog Stella to sleep after a sudden illness and I have been very blue. With the kindness and support of friends near and far, and the suggestion to watch the street cam in Key West, I think I’m ready to be fun again.

It’s finally Fall in Texas… the perfect sailing weather.. the temperature has dropped to a comfortable 90 degrees and good winds… so this is what I did Saturday while Bonnie and Sue (sounds like a movie) were though how to make poo-foo drinks..

Chicago is now official in the throes of fall and pre-winter…40’s for a high and 30’s for a low. Mad scramble to get all the plants inside and gearing up to scrape the frost off my windshield tomorrow. Jealous of Richard’s post and yet accepting of what is coming our way in Chi-town. Seasons change and I like that. Happy Fall to all the Streeters, wherever you reside!

To maintain my delusion I click on the link to the webcam on Duval St. Seeing all those people dressed in summer clothes outside Sloppy Joe’s makes me feel warm and happy. Why, I even spotted the Cuban Coffee Queen’s delivery scooter!

Big shout out to Mike and Chris Lyons who are celebrating their son’s wedding this weekend! Patti and I were going to crash it but they won’t tell us exactly where it is. Somewhere in Galena. I wish them safe travels, great weather, and much happiness to the newlyweds!

Can’t go to the wedding after all. Bon and I are going to this fundraiser event for an animal shelter. The cast from “Chicago Fire” will be there. This is the truth. But Jim, you can bring me back a pen. I love pens.

Hot firemen, Sue…you didn’t tell me that!!!
Congrats to the newlyweds and to Chris and Mike!
Also, a happy birthday to Birgit who continues the proud tradition of downing Bloody Mary’s at the airport as she leaves for the “fun in the sun” of Aruba!!!

I am back in Key West! well, sort of. Birgit sent me this link: http://www.liveduvalstreet.com/fantasyfest/
Now all I need is a bartender to fix me some homemade sangria or a bloody mary or a rum something. I’ll be needing my pants too.

So Bon and I did the mixology class today at her bartending school, and we used real alcohol. We started with Bloody Marys, also Manhattans, Old Fashioned, Pina Colada, Mojitos, Cosmopolitans, Negronis, and some concoction made with vodka and cucumbers and jalapeno peppers. Probably some other stuff too but I forgot because we actually drank all these things and I’m lucky to be alive. It was way fun and he does parties, which I think would be a great idea for a Seeley party!

Sad but true. THE PANTS are packed away for the winter. The day I turn on the heat is the day I finally admit that summer is over. I will miss them as I know you will but in 6 months or so, I will be wearing them again.

Patti does have a good idea there. Doesn’t seem to be too many bars in Chicago. My niece and hubby are in a partnership group that now owns and runs 8 (count ’em) bars. I have never been to any of them, but those of you familiar with the watering holes may recognize a name of one of them: Irish Oaks, Derby, Woodies, Fatpour, Diag, 404 Winebar, Brunch amd, and coming soon…Hopsmith.

Saw Bartender Bon last night at Nucky’s…we got to get her a gig so we can go visit…Wrigleyville…too, trendy, Gold Coast…too posh, Lincoln Square…too yuppie…why not on Roscoe? Plenty of watering holes there or maybe we should pool our resources and open our own Seeley establishment on the corner of Roscoe and Seeley! (With a satellite establishment in Key West, of course)!!

Sue, seriously, you know I have been encouraging those Grunde boys to open a place and serve some of their craft beers…I am sure we could convince Vince and some of your nephews to get in on this…they already know all about us since we invaded my sons at the Windy City Inn and your kids know all about the Seeley Streeters antics. Let’s see if we can get some seed money and make this happen. Good investment…damn right since we have a lot of drinkers in the crowd…I’m even going to kick in my cousins! Richard, you can be a long distant partner with all the rights and privileges when you are in town…which I hope is often. Janis, you and Paul can be our East Coast distibutors and what a fun time we can have in naming the drinks after each one of us or special memories…get your thinking caps on Streeters and let’s see what interesting ideas you can come up with!

Jim, great list of bars…my former student and my son’s good friend is a bartender at Fatpour on Division. I’ve been there once to harass him and really liked it. It’s a little out of the way for me and definitely caters to a younger crowd but I knew the bartender so everything was all good! I’ll have to check out the others you mentioned, personally!

Where is everybody?
Well the girls-who-always-have-fun are at it again, this Thurs evening, meeting by Patti’s about 5:45 pm and walking to one of the fine neighborhood establishments. If it’s nice outside we’ll go to the beer garden at O’Donovan’s. If it’s shitty we will appropriately go to LaShit’s.
For anyone wanting to start the fun earlier, Bon and I will be going to stand in line at Hot Doug’s at Roscoe and California about 9:30 a.m. Must get some of those duck fat french fries before they close for good next month.
See ya!

Drove down last Thursday for a wake for dear old friend Bob Gorny at Salerno’s on Harlem at Armitage. Friday funeral, then visited departed Gilbert family members at Irving Park Cemetery, cruised Oak Park, visited animals at Brookfield Zoo, then enjoyed niece’s wedding at Sheraton in Schiller Park.

Wow, you were in my hood. Brookfield Zoo. Well I don’t actually live in the zoo. I was in Oak Park thurs night, went to Ukulele night at the Eastgate cafe with my friend Evie. She’s 12. No word from Richard for 4 days now. I think he’s in shock over that whole beer thing.

Mike is awake, not yet alert, following his surgery today. It took a little longer than normal the surgeon said because he just wouldn’t go to sleep for them . So he was sedated but talking while they manipulated the device out of his abdomen. But he must have had an amazing amount of sedatives.

Sounds creepy, right? So now he is good as “gnu” and will spend the tonight well attended by the nurses in SICU (aka Sick you)

He is probably coming home Thursday afternoon after he gets set up with everything in the spinal cord unit.

Back from Laschett’s for a meal of sauerbraten and Julius Eichter…heading up to the North Woods for the weekend! Wishing everyone a happy 4th of July. Streeters, let’s get together and party, soon!!! Let’s meet in Key West!!!!!!

No…still addicted to the Java, but I am working on it…told her she needs to find a brew that she likes for Key West! Maybe a mojito or a frou-frou drink…she can collect little umbrellas or flamingo swizzle sticks!!!

So true….house 2 doors down is going for 1.6 million and that is a 6 year old house not brand new construction. Wonder what the house going up next to Bartz will go for…we’re sitting on a gold mine. Seriously thinking of becoming snow birds…Wisconsin cabin in the spring/summer and someplace warm in the late fall and winter. Mine will be a tear down probably, but at least I’ll get $750,000+ for it. Not bad for our $68,000 initial investment! Bartz is going to sell and live on his boat or buy a bigger boat!!! Maybe I’ll find some property in Key West!!!!

What is the allure of that neighborhood, and where are the jobs? Basement meth labs? Is Stewart-Warner paying that well? I would understand it if Riverview was still there and Hoffing’s was still open.

I did a gut and rehab 20 years ago on my building and some stuff is getting old and tired and I’ve been thinking of going thru the place again, but nothing I do will increase the value of the property. The place is worth $600K no matter what shape it’s in. Whoever buys it will gut it to the walls and redo it as a single familly house or they will tear it down and build a new house. In a way it’s kinda sad. My grandfather, Mike’s dad and most of my neighbors spent so much time taking care of these buildings and it dosen’t count for jack s….. A junky, run down 800 square foot frame is worth just as much, maybe more cause it’s cheaper to tear down.

Jim-The 30 somethings with kids want to live in the city and yet not worry about paying for a private education, so they move to the Bell School district to get a very good education for their kids for free. These people don’t want suburbia and don’t mind the lack of green space…they will go to all the available parks around us, the lakefront, or enroll their kids in hockey, ballet, violin lessons, karate, etc…they like all the big upgrades for their houses like garage decks with pergolas and brick pizza ovens or 7 bedroom homes with a chef’s kitchen, a media room and a small apartment for the nanny!!!!

Patti- Ah! A pergola, not to be confused with a “green tunnel”. Actually, it is a pretty cool colorful idea. I remember a few of those growing in my childhood, draping down from the trestles of the Ravenswood ‘B’ Line.

Sorry Susie Q…we were at a wedding downtown…another one today…by Sunday my feet will be killing me from all the dancing!!!
We are on for the 31st with Cheryl no matter what…but if we can get Motown tickets I would be in heaven…my friend told me I have to see it!!!
Note to Bartz…thought you and Annette were going to stop by for a drink in the yard on Thursday…the party group was there waiting for you!!!
Hope sailing isn’t rained out today…thanks again for asking!!!
Have a great Mac race and a good trip to Alaska…see you in August!

I ended up hanging with my grand daughter Fri night. What could be better? Guessing Bill didn’t sail on Sat. Hard to believe they actually cancelled the Taste.
Pat, I’ll plan on going downtown on the 31st to hit Hot Tix for Motown.

The town I live in is Woodway but the post office is in Waco… so either address is acceptable… but the USPS has decided to close the Waco distribution center and use Austin instead (100 miles away).. so if I mile a letter to myself it will go 100 miles to be stamped and then return 100 miles to be delivered to an address 2 miles away..

Richard-Which one was it…#3 the move in ready…certainly not the one they rehabbed for the missionary family? Nice to know you can still get a house for $68,000-79,000 somewhere!
Also, that husband and wife can really stretch a rehab budget of $40,000..if they were in Vancouver with the Property Brothers, they could get a broom closet for that money! Here in Chicago it could get you bullet proof glass for your windows!!!

It was the two bedroom they rehabbed… it was in slightly better shape back then .. that part of town used to be called the “Baylor Slums”… older houses rented to Baylor students (used to be a black community back in the 50s but Baylor had the city run them off and acquired much of the land)… in the 80’s, the condo people came in and started buying up the older properties… we used to make beer in the old garage…

And yes.. Texas is cheaper.. land is cheap and property is about 30% or less than in Chicago… had a friend move to Waco from the north… purchased a house twice as big and had money left over to buy a BMW convertible … and there was no state income tax on his salary nor hardly any property tax…

So the plan is to make sure you get a home in a place like Chicago or San Fran and then sell it and make beaucoup cash and go and buy something cheaper and larger in another city…like it. Maybe Dan and I can be snow birds and winter in Texas and spend the summers at our cabin in Wisconsin!!!!

It is a plan that really makes sense to more and more people.. spend winters at 80 degrees and summers at 80 degrees… trade in your current house for one that is larger, is brand new and have the extra cash to buy a cabin… or if cabin is already available, have first class tickets for years to come… and.. no state income tax..

No snow to shovel … no three season wardrobe to tend.. no shooting of the day (except those whom were deserving)..

You can hunt.. you can owe as many guns as you like… you shoot them guns.. you can carry those guns even to church… you can hunt down homosexuals and turn them in for mandatory counseling to change them…

You can frequent the bar of your choice… you can drink heavily and still be considered a teetotaler.. you can help guard the border because it’s open season on wetbacks…

Politics is easy… two parties.. Republicans and Tea Party… vote for the party who offer the lowest taxes and the most restrictions on your personal liberties…

You will never be bored again… except counting all that cash you aren’t spending..

Richard, I hope that the area you live in is not as you satirically describe. But for the aspects of that assessment that come even close to describing condition there, I would say there is actually a significant price to living there, and maybe all your stacks of money should go to support the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and like-minded organizations. 🙂

Donate to the Texas Democratic Party is like flushing your cash down the commode.. they haven’t elected a state official since 1994… and they can’t even stop a 2/3 majority vote in the state legislature… only 1/3 of the congressional delegation are democrats.. on maps of blue and red states, Texas is red with metal flakes..

Richard- I went for an interview today at local Chemical company. HR guy asked me if I had prior experience, I replied ‘of course’, so he asked me what Nitrate was, and I told him I hope it’s time-and-a-half.

I agree with Jim! Watched this first thing this AM. Lots of amazing bands from Chicago (and even more from Illinois at large! I used to like Head East!) Richard, what were some of your early band going experiences? I think I remember that you saw the Doors and the Who, way back when. Is that correct? What clubs did you go to? Any other bands that you saw way back in the day?

Silly guy! I know what age you were when you left! 🙂 For some reason I remember that you went to see bands early, and at tiny venues where teens went. Remember those clubs? Like the Kinetic Playground? It was north of us, somewhere. I think they had the Doors early on. And there was also a club out near Arlington Heights, too, I believe….Anybody remember those?

I got to ride in the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile…everything on it ‘cept ketchup! Don’t know why it was in the neighborhood but it was at Damen and Roscoe. I think I still have my weiner whistle… a giant hotdog on wheels…sort of a disturbing childhood memory if you really think about it!!!

Gail Geshrey and I went to the park in the fall that it closed. I think we went in September, after school, and that was the first time I went alone to Riverview with a friend. It was practically empty, like a ghost town, with maybe 20 people in the whole park.

There was racial turmoil in Chicago then, and some of it spilled over to Riverview.

After mid-afternoon on school days after summer was probably the most active time for the park.. summers on the other hand were big… during the winter all the employees probably moved in with Jim in The Clown Capital – Baraboo (the only city in America where Jim looks normal)

I have the happiest memories of Riverview. Mom would take us there twice a year, once as our big visit, then often a second one later in the season for “dime day.” I loved the history of the place! I liked the Caterpillar with the green covering that came over you at a certain point in the ride, and I loved the Flying Turns! Was there also one called the Silver Streak that looked like a futuristic train? I liked the waterbug ride, that was like a little motarized intertube! I liked the smell of cigar smoke everywhere, too! To this day, the smell of certain cigars reminds me of the midway at Riverview!

My grandmother was the ticket taker for the Aladdin’s Castle, my grandfather for a period of time worked the Greyhound maintenance. At the age of 12, I was a Security Officer at Main Gate for a Summer. At initial interview, I was turned down for not being 14 years of age. My father went downtown to his job with the City, and came home with a “new” birth certificate, so I got the job. Tall for one’s age did have some advantages. Also, for two closing Seasons, Ken Fitze and I worked the Mardi Gras Parade, and yes, we dressed as clowns, and pushed a car-battery operated soap bubble blowing teapot which never work, and leaked a trail of soap every night!

Thank you. One year? Oh yeah, I’ll remember. Anyway, on a totally different tangent, if anyone remembers the Mylanders on Roscoe St.–they lived next door to Hoffing’s parking lot–my patrols have brought me to Milwaukee Avenue (Rte 21) and Half Day Rd (Rte 22) to a place called “The Tax Guy.” This is Guy Mylander’s tax accounting business and he is very successful, having acquired an entire shopping mall as property. His brothers Eddie and Ronnie have not fared as well. I have not seen Eddie since 1981 and Ronnie in 10 years, but last time I saw them they needed some help.
Just happened to be doing an annual rural mail count in the Lincolnshire Post Office and noticed a lot of mail addressed to “The Tax Guy.” I asked the carrier to confirm it was indeed our Guy Mylander and she did. He sends a fond hello to the friends from Roscoe.

I do remember that name! and funny that you were in that area. Don’t know if you remember Erika Woller Audubon class of ’67, but she lives right there. where she lives used to be called Prairie View, now it’s Lincolnshire. We’ve had several of our Audubon get-togethers there. I’ll tell her about the Tax Guy!

He’s at 430 Milwaukee, and part of Lincolnshire is still called Prairie View. Small world, huh? Erika left 3 years after me, so I probably didn’t know her, but I bet my sister Rose remembers her. Thanks, doll!

Great time with the Benker girls last Saturday. We went to Luther North’s Trivia Night…our table’s theme was “Hot Fun in the Summer Time!…margaritas were flowing, along with some Boone’s Farm (for sentimental reasons). Big surprise of the night…Bonnie won “Split the Pot” raffle and went home with over a grand!!!!

Yes it was a “grand” time! I really thought we’d do better at the trivia, with all our combined knowledge. Hmmm. Did manage to firm up a date for Key West and here it is: Wed Aug 13th Pat and I (and whoever wants to join us) will be going to Ft Lauderdale and doing the drive to Key West. Pat will remain in Key West over the weekend, I plan to linger a few days longer. So who’s playing?

Touch of grey, I love and knew, but didn’t know the title! Really great choice for our purposes! The Mayer song I had never heard, and it is really wonderful! If some of you guys don’t know these songs, or haven’t really listened to the lyrics, I suggest you google the song lyrics, and then click on the links Richard put in (above) and read the lyrics while listening. Very meaningful. 🙂

Hanging out in the Seeley Street Pub on Valentine’s Day! Unlike most establishments on this holiday – where the pub is filled with celebrating couples and not the usual gang of regulars – here at the Seeley Street, we do things right!!! 😉

Happy Valentine’s Day to the sweetest group of friends in the world! 🙂

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at home…no school…suppose to be at an Urban Teacher’s Conference but blew it off…and not just because I was partying last night at Chief O’Neill’s with some of the Streeters! Key West in August…I know it is a strange time but we decided that it’s cheaper and quieter so that we can really stick out as a crowd that knows how to party and make their own fun!!
Wishing all of you Seeley Valentiners, Peace, Love and Soul!!! Shout out to Don Cornelius and Soul Train…

Well the 2014 Grammy’s are over and for the first time in a decade, it has been a musical disaster… I only had 8 of the Grammy winners.. record low … Daft Punk plunked me.. they came out of nowhere… but I did get one dark horse… Vampire Weekend.. oh well…

Ralph…you were always so busy working or playing soccer back during the Seeley years, I never got to ask you about your favorite music? The band you took us to see after the Phil’s reunion was a blast!

I have heard of Vampire Weekend. What is the name of the song that is so tropical? A punk? The one with “look outside at the raincoats gone.” Love that song. Very calypso-ish! Daft Punk really scored with their last album. Joe told me about it the minute it came out, and then I saw “Get Lucky” performed on Stephen Colbert. (Love the song, “Get Lucky!”) Colbert is another grammy winner this year for a comedy CD! And McCartney playing with Ringo is always a pleasure to see!

Props to you always, Richard, for keeping up with music! Seems like you were a frontrunner with it then and now! 🙂

They just have to wait their turn.. it took 50 years for the Grammy Awards to recognize the Beatles… now if Jethro Tull can only bag a second Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Band… if they could bet Metallica and Iron Maiden for the honours, they can do it ago.. GO Grammies…

Quite so and indeed. If the Grammies were then what they are now, the Beatles would be the Walt Disney or the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with awards; instead, I think they got three for writing. (What today compares tho A Day in the Life? The 55 second last note should itself merit an award. Yeah, Tull as Heavy Metal–who’d a thought? Metallica must have communally rusted up when that happened. (Why do I always end up complaining about cosmic wrongs?) And the poor little Bieb getting all that bad press just because he wanted to drag race a two million dollar car. Doesn’t anyone love him? Peace to all.

After frenzied calls and emails about the massive solar flares heading our way from the solar sunspots, rest assured that I have taken all possible precautions… I have covered my computer in a silver reflexive blanket and Jim dug his trusty aluminum foil hat out of his closet (US certified against solar flares and government mind control.. testing is still underway as to prevention of space alien anal probing.. a side effect is the maintaining of one’s virginity)…

Jealous…was up at our cabin in the great north woods…most people go south for the winter…duh…woke up to -26 degrees one day! Did warm up to a balmy 30 degrees so we could sled, ski and walk on the lake to visit the ice fisherman, then back to a nice cozy fire and lots of booze!!!

Neither Mother Cabrini nor Walt Disney in the 60s could “clean” that up. On a more congratulatory note, Sue, congratulations on your grandmotherly status. Like I always like to remind the younger ones, only the lucky ones achieve certain social statuses such as having grandchildren. Except for Fred Schanmeier, who was a grandfather at 36. He owned the Village Tap next door to Hoffing’s twenty years ago, called it Freddy Feelgood’s. Have a great weekend everyone!

Totally different subject: This is the only moment I have in my office this week, so I will be brief (and possibly witty), since brevity is the soul of wit, and all that jazz. I hope you all have the most happy Christmas, Kwaanza, (already had Hanukkah), Solstice (for all of us pagans), et cetera, et cetra, et cetera. Whatever you celebrate, please enjoy the next millennium doing it.
Love to all Calogero

I see that Illinois is jumping on the same sex bandwagon… in Texas, it is still illegal for anyone who is not a Republican to marry… but they have eased the abortion restrictions a bit.. only Democrats and minorities are allowed… but only if they leave the state immediately afterwards and never return…

Just because Sue was the role model for the movie didn’t mean that her nursing school was responsible… it was just some doctors were giving out tapeworms for diet control versus the norm of massive daily doses of amphetamines.

Husbands objected to the tapeworm diet since the wife would just lie around the house all day eating bonbons… at least with amphetamines, the house would be spotless, clothes done, meal cooked even if it did occur all day and all night…

Can’t remember where the destination reunion posts are, but wanted to recommend the book: Quit Your Job and Move to Key West. Very chill book that, according to those who have visited KW, really captures the feel of this remarkable place! I felt like moving there after reading it!!!

And just to cover all options, I am also reading The 2014 Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas! 😉

I have never been to Vegas-despite the rumors and gossip-but I do not see the attraction. Cheap food, cheap airfare, cheap rooms, do we see the pattern here? Key West has history and romance, though I have never visited there either. I understand most of the recent romance there is Gay, but good cold ales are the cure all for all. Guess I’ve made my vote.

When I go there for a conference, the rooms average about $200 per night and the airfare is about the same as flying to NY or Chicago. Dinner normally runs about $75 to $100 (unless you like wine instead of beer)… Drinks are cheap if you gamble (but not cheap if you take in consideration your losses)… but if you do not gamble, the drinks are about the same as anywhere else…

Yes, you can get some cheap rooms in some dive motels out in the middle of nowhere… but you have to rent by the hour… You can also stay in the old theme hotels for the kiddies or downtown (if all you plan to do is gamble)…

But.. the Four Queens has the Chicago Brewery on site… and a great place to drink beer and smoke cigars…

I know most of us have jobs, but Patti & Richard have REAL jobs where their presence is required daily(Richard’s is in body only), where schedules are strict and replacements impossible to find. Then, we will probably find within this framework, Patti & Richard’s “free” days/weeks/months differ. So, we should plan around the two of them. Some of us do have real “Winters”, and Jan(not Johnson)/Feb/March look real good to me. Johnson looks real good to me as well, but…you know. I have yet to do a snowbird vacay, but am ready for one, though I know if I do, it will become an annual trek. I vote for Key West. Not sure, what all there is to do there, but if I hang with Sue, I’m sure I won’t ever be bored. A project like building our raft “Minnow”, and floating to Cuba. Well, that’s my 2 cents worth(okay, quarter’s worth).

Kudos to Richard for posting some Dionne Warwick on Bonnie’s Music Machine per my request…saw the White House Gershwin Award program for Burt Bacharach and Hal David awhile back and suddenly had to hear some of those great songs!
Richard, thanks for the “yes dear” moment!!!

Happy 4th to all the Streeters! Raise the flag and a cold one and celebrate the good old US of A! Despite all the crap going on of late, I’d still rather live here than almost anywhere…though Oslo,Norway, Vancouver, Canada and Edinburgh, Scotland are also appealing!!
Of course, Richard lives in a whole different country…Texas!!!

All kidding aside, this is a friendly place 🙂 Someone said to me that Manhattan is actually very provincial (provencal is proper?), and it is true! Very different culture…lots of smokers, but not, as Richard points out, any big gulp drinkers. Two fisted drinkers, yes…lots of alcohol consumption. Streeters would feel right at home, although some bars don’t offer beers! Yep, that’s what I said. Wine and mixed drinks only. (wtf?????)

Haven’t been flashing, but that reminds me: I did see my third Broadway musical, “Kinky Boots,” this week and wow! That show is an upbeat delight! It got the Tony for Best Musical of 2013, and will go national a year from this September! So far, I’ve seen Book of Mormon in April, Wicked in May (no theater in June because the puppy was a fulltime job) and now KB this week. I’ve walked right by (literally, shoulder to shoulder) Woody Allen on a side street (we made eye contact) and Carole King was singing Happy Birthday at a Mexican restaurant on 86th Street. Her table was adjacent to ours. I remember listening to Tapestry when Patti had it, and I still know every song!

Janis, I’m not going to be able to see Book of Mormon because it leaves in October and the shows are practically sold out and too damn expensive…I am so jealous you saw it. I will be able to see Kinky Boots in the fall and I am so excited…love Cyndi Lauper and loved the movie”Kinky Boots! I am definitely going to go see Motown!!!! Carole King…love her. Just finished watching her at the White House on PBS. Tapestry is still one of my favorite albums and I have the 45 of “Oh Carol” by Neil Sedeka, which was about her when they were dating! Woody Allen…I would have done something dumb like ask him how Mia was..I mean Sun Yee, or I would have just said, “Ladi Da, ladi da”.
Glad you are adapting to life in NYC…miss seeing you but can’t wait to catch up at the reunion!
Do you have something special that you’s like to do on Friday when you are in? I told Richard that I would try and plan something. We could always just crash in my backyard…I will have enough beer for Richard…and we are close to Laschet’s for choir practice!!!
So excited…hope we can get more people to commit to the event, but we will have a great time no matter what!!!

Streeters are known for being late with RSVPs. We had an additional 5 show up when Mike and I did the Lou Malnatis gig! And that was wonderful!!!!

Friday is wide open for us! Thursday (if the dentist is off the schedule) we are going to knock around the city, do some shopping, visit our old building, walk the dog in the park, etc. Should be a lovely weekend! Can’t wait to see everyone!!!!!!!!!!!! I am up for dancing to Motown!

Richard…blow off finals…everyone gets an A or an F…you choose, and come to the reunion. I know that the Caribbean is more tempting, but I’ll fill up the wading pool in my backyard and put a palm tree next to it…Bill will let you sail his boat…Janis won’t come if you aren’t there. We need all our party people with us!!!! Summer reunion has to happen…we don’t want to have to wait until winter!!!!

SAVE THE DATE ALERT! A meeting of the great and powerful female minds has resulted in the planning of another Seeley event. Our own Seeley Summerfest is scheduled for Sat Aug 10th at the fantabulous yard of Ludy and Mari Guin Riesen. This is a perfect spot, right near Irving and Elston, very accessible for our chief Mike Lyons AND THEY HAVE A BAR IN THEIR GARAGE! Details to follow but book your plane tix, request the day off, whatever you have to do to be there

Just a note: I was forced to update the website this evening (I had no choice).. when the update finished, a bunch of the recent comments got nuked and I couldn’t recover them. The update just did its own thing…

.remember how we used to have to split those wires and wrap them around the screws in the back of the speakers? sorry I don’t know your technical terms…..but when I bought my first stereo the salesman told me: “Copper is positive and silver is negative and don’t forget or you’ll blow your amp”. I never forgot. I don’t know if it was true or not, but I remembered.

It doesn’t matter if it’s copper, silver, aluminum, polyester…. as long as both speakers are wired identically. And NO, you will not blow your amp. If they’re not wired up the same, it’ll still work, but the stereo effect will not sound right. I believe it was purchased late 60’s/early 70’s… if purchased new. I don’t remember the sales person’s name but he’s working as a greeter at Walmart now. Let me guess though… Art Grams?

I’ve thought about this for years. All that was in those older speakers was a coil of wire with 8 ohms of resistance. Unless the speaker was grounded (they were made of plastic or wood, so they couldn’t be) or they had filtering or amplification in the speaker (which none of them did back then) it didn’t make a damn bit of difference which way that signal flowed through that coil. Just my opinion.

On the speaker connectors, one has a dot next to it. That means when the signal/voltage goes positive on that terminal, the voice coil will move outwards. You want both speakers to move in the same direction when the same voltage/signal is applied. You’re correct, Grasshopper, about not making a damn bit of difference which way that signal flowed through that coil. It’ll still make noise, but as Richard said, they had to be in phase.

My condolences to the Lyons family on the death of Mary Lyons. She lived a long full life, and was blessed by her children. She was the “keeper of the porch”, and the only fitting honor is to have “the porch” removed from its foundation, and have it bronzed in her sweet memory, which means, Ralph & Richard, you’re up.

This gave me the first smile of the day yesterday. Thanks, Jim. I love the idea of removing the porch, and just the sheer hooliganism of it! It will always be in my head now…the Seeley porch being taken in the dark of night, to places unknown, to be enjoyed and celebrated again by those who first gathered there years ago.

Richard, from what I can see, most New Yorkers would only steal a fire escape for outside seating. The few porches in the neighborhood are stone and attached, so what reason would I have for that little Seeley stoop?

Listen to the two of you, Richard and Janis! I am tired of this Texas talk, because they talk big, and still do, but the Republic of Texas was so bankrupt, they begged us/we Northeners to allow them into the Union. And Janis, you have already acclimated as a New Yorker. I have never heard a true Chicagoan refer to their front porch as a “stoop”.

Since everyone else either has a concrete (so the other thieving NYers can’t steal it) or no porch since it already has been thieved, you would have the only wooden porch in NYC.. not only a reason, but an opportunity …

Bonnie, good to hear your “voice” again. By “store” I meant keep it up here in Wisconsin. No one would find it, not that anyone would be looking. Of course, it also does depend on what “uses” you may be referring to. Being a “good boy” from up north on Cornelia, I can hardly imagine.

Janis,
I remember the Herd from Lane and Ascension. Didn’t get over to the Gordon dances much but I did go to the Irving Park YMCA alot…wonder if Bonnie and Sue remember those!
Beth, Ludy, (maybe Mary) and I got picked up by the police for breaking curfew while coming home from a Lane social. We stopped for pizza at that place on Addison and I think Hoyne and then walked down the lit street of Damen because we thought it would be safer. Cops picked us up(should have kept to the shadows). Also remember getting busted down at Foster Beach for having Zapple wine(Ithink it was grad night from Schurz). Those were my only brushes with the law!